The dreaded A14

January 2, 2008

Updated: Monday, June 7, 2010 (11:53)

YOUR article on average speed cameras (December 12) interested me as an official hater of the stretch of road from Bar Hill to Huntingdon. While it is great that collisions have halved on this awful piece of road, I am amazed anyone has been caught speedi

YOUR article on average speed cameras (December 12) interested me as an official hater of the stretch of road from Bar Hill to Huntingdon.

While it is great that collisions have halved on this awful piece of road, I am amazed anyone has been caught speeding - my average speed is usually anything from 0 to 40.

My journey starts at the appallingly-designed interchange leaving the westbound A14 where it collides with the M11, ending when I breathe a huge sigh of relief and turn off at St Ives.

For a start, this is one of the worst sections for baulking by lorry drivers (usually Dutch) where they sit in the outside lane trying to pass another lorry that they don't have the power to overtake. If that doesn't slow traffic, then rubbernecking by all drivers leering at some poor car broken down or shunted in a lay-by certainly will.

I hadn't realised until I read your article that the average speed cameras were to control speeding - I had assumed it was a time trial assessing how slowly cars travel or how long they are stationary.

I have just moved to the area from Ipswich and would plan a route miles out of my way when travelling from Suffolk to the Midlands, as I dreaded this depressing stretch of road.

Since moving here I am pleased to say that I have worked out that I can exit at Bar Hill and travel via Earith to get to Needingworth. Joy.

I sincerely hope the proposed improvements will rid us of this nightmare road (with apologies to residents adversely affected).